Seodaemun Prison Museum (서대문형무소역사관 西大門刑務所)
The prison was built near the end of the Joseon dynasty in the early 1900s, and was used to house anti-colonial activists during the Independence Movement. Seven of the 15 original buildings have been intact since then, with some of the cells and areas restored to become exhibition halls.
Address: 251, Tongil-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 서울특별시 서대문구 통일로 251 (현저동)
How to get there: Dongnimmun Station (Subway Line 3), Exit 5
Tel no: +82-2-360-8590
Operating hours: Mar - Oct: 9:30 - 18:00; Nov - Feb: 9:30 - 17:00
Admission fees:
Adults(over 19) 3,000 won; Youths (13 - 18) 1,500 won; Children (7 - 12) 1,000 won
Museum directory
The second prison museum I've visited (the first being Alcatraz in San Francisco), one thing is the same - the gloomy and depressing feeling as I walked through the halls. The rainy weather probably made it even lonelier.
Walking stick with hidden weapon
Yu Gwan Sun (류관순/柳寬順) (December 16, 1902 – September 28, 1920) was a student at the Ewha Womans University's high school, and was a freedom fighter who organised the March 1st Movement against colonial rule in Korea. She was later imprisoned, but continued to fight for the freedom of her nation during her sentence.
Memorial hall for those who fought for the nation
Underground torture chambers
A torture chamber the size of a small cabinet, and doesn't allow the prisoner to stand or sit properly.
Peep hole to the cells
Prison cells
The only place in the prison I couldn't bear to walk through - the execution chambers
Red bricks
Exercise facility, built in a way to prevent prisoners from having conversations with each other
Women's cells - You can see the underground cell in this building.
Souvenir shop
All in all, I'll recommend this museum if you want to find out more about the history of the Independence Movement. It's a quiet place to do some self-reflection and thinking.
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